Werk lonza



. THEODOB LI UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

, or msnn, swrrznmn, assronon '1'0 nnnx'mmmlms- WERK LONZA, OF GAMPEL,SWITZERLAND. I

PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ETHYL ALCOHOKFROM ACE'IEAL'DEHYDE.

1,311,824, No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Dr. THEODOR LICHTEN- HAHN, a citizen of the SwisRepublic, and

resident ,of- Basel, Switzerland, have invented a new and useful Processfor the Manution theofetically necessary. Hereby the best results are"obtained when keeping the excess of hydrogen so high that the gas can sofar remove the heat of the strongly exothermic reaction (nearly 300cals. per kilo ofalcohol produced) that the, temperature is retainedwithin the limits most favorable for smooth reaction withoutdecomposition of the aldehyde, namely between 100 and 180? C. Toavoid'loss of hydrogen it is advisable'to apply the principle 'ofcirculatlon to the operation.

When about a two-fold excess of hydro gen is used, a strongly evilsmelling alcohol is obtained, the undesirable constituents of which,itis true, diminish later, .but give place to a continuously increasingcontent of aldehyde; when, however, more than six-fold 40 by using astill greater excess of hydrogen.

excess of hydrogen is used, the alcohol remams tree from evil smellyproducts and poor in aldehyde. This excess of hydrogen removes a part ofthe heat of the reactlon, which can be 'completley conducted away Howgreat the excess. should be in any particular case may be calculatedfrom the Specification of Letters Patent. Pate ted July 29, 1919.Application med um as, 1918. Serial n 230,731.

quantity of heat develo ed,-per unit time,

from the heat lost by r iation and general external cooling, and fromthe heat capacity of the hydrogen in the range of temperature betweenthe most advantageous temperature of admission and the highesttemperature permissible in the apparatus I Assuming that the gases forreaction (hydrogen and vapor of acetaldehyde) are passed at atemperature of 90. G. into a chamber containing metallic nickel, forinstance, as a catalyst, and that the temperature of the chamber is tobe 150 C., the excess heat-of reaction may be removed from the chamber,without fear of overheating, by aid of the hydrogen, if the latter be inabout a thirty-fold excess.

The alcohol canbe separated by chilling the issuing vapor and the excessof hydrogen can be returned to the chamber by means of an externalcirculation device, or

by means of an injector driven by the fresh hydrogen that must beadmitted into the system. 7

What I claim is: A manufacture of ethyl alcohol fromacetaldehyde byreducing the latter with hydrogen in presence of a catalyst, wherein thehydrogen is used in at least six times the theoretical proportion, sothat the heat of i reaction is so far conducted .away by the hydrogen,that the temperature in the reaction chamber is kept at that favorablefor a smooth reaction without decomposition of the acetaldehyde.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed I my name this 20th day ofMarch, 1918, in

,the presence of two subscnbing witnesses,

TI-lTEODOR LIOHTENHAH'N;

. Witnesses:

H. H. DIoK, AMAND Rmani.

